Rian Johnson and Daisy Ridley Discuss Rey Learning About Her Family in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

– EW.com recently spoke to Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson and members of the cast. During the article, Johnson and Daisy Ridley discussed how the film will address Ridley’s family and where she came from, a story thread that was previously left open in The Force Awakens. The Last Jedi opens in theaters on December 15.

Johnson on Rey discovering the truth of her family in the Star Wars sequel: “To me, it’s important insofar as it’s important to her. And I think it’s important to her in terms of what is her place in all of this? What’s going to define her in this story? She was told in the last movie that the answer’s not in the past; it’s looking forward. But she’s showing up on this island to talk to this hero from the past. … [Rey] holds onto the thought that where she comes from will help define where she’s going.”

Daisy Ridley on the path of the character: “What’s wonderful is it’s not so cut and dry, who’s good and who’s bad and that’s not me saying, ‘Oh, my God, some people are gonna go bad.’ There’s always room for bad people to make good decisions and vice versa. Again, that could be nothing to do with your parents and it could be everything to do with your parents.”

John Boyega on Finn’s own backstory: “We will learn more about his past and where he came from, and potentially why he made the decision [to escape] that he made. I’m also very curious. The question that needs to be answered is why he decided to leave as a stormtrooper in the first place. We will find out just a little bit more about him.”

Johnson on how Kylo Ren is dealing with the events of the last film: “He’s definitely been knocked off base. The defeat that he had at the end of The Force Awakens, but even bigger than that, his huge defining act which, spoiler alert, is the murder of his father… that’s the more interesting thing to dive into. How has he dealt with that in his head? Where is he at in terms of that act and what does that mean for him?”

Johnson on the presence of Han Solo and if he’d appear as a ghost: “Han, the ghost of – well, not literally…I don’t want to misguide. I have to be very careful with my words here. But a figurative ghost of Han had to be present throughout this entire film.”